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Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Essays on the psychology of serial killers
Biology behind serial killers
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People move all the time. Whether the relocation is due to personal or professional reasons, most often is it to start a new, and better, life. The community doesn’t usually know that new members are present and they go about their daily lives. In April of 1987, Rochester, NY gained two new members of the community and they were none the wiser until women, mainly prostitutes, began to disappear and then would turn up murdered starting in early 1988. Arthur Shawcross, relocated to Rochester after being paroled and having his criminal record sealed, was given the ability to start a new life, but he returned to his old habits of mutilation and murder by killing 11 women over two years.
There are numerous categories and classifications of crimes committed. Some classifications are based on the type of crime committed while some are some are classified by the perpetrator’s motivation in committing the crime. The serial killer behavioral patterns discussed in class are: visionary, mission based, hedonistic and power/control. While Shawcross’ murders centralized around prostitutes and could initially be classified as mission based, I believe that he was a hedonistic lust serial killer. He derived “sexual gratification from killing and who often establish a pattern, such as the manner in which they kill or the types of victims they select, such as prostitutes, children, or the elderly (Hickey 35).” Although evidence wasn’t found that Shawcross sexually penetrated his victims, the mutilation he performed on them had a definite sexual component that escalated in nature as he continued to kill. He bit one woman’s genital area, cut off another’s breasts, sodomized another and with June Stott, cut her from the top of the chest between her br...
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...on the behavior. There are plenty of abused children that go on to lead healthy, well-adjusted lives without committing criminal behaviors. Ultimately, I think human behavior is a delicate balance between nature and nurture although there is no way to prove it with the measures available today.
Works Cited
"Arthur Shawcross." 2014. The Biography Channel website. 1 March 2014.
04:18 http://www.biography.com/people/arthur-shawcross-15423749.
Hickey, Eric W. Serial Murderers and Their Victims. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
Investigative Reports: Inside the Killer's Mind. Perf. Arthur Shawcross. A&E Television Networks, 2000. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Stochholm, K., A. Bojesen, A. S. Jensen, S. Juul, and C. H. Gravholt. "Criminality in Men with Klinefelter's Syndrome and XYY Syndrome: A Cohort Study." BMJ Open 2.1 (2012): E000650. Print.
Arndt, W., Hietpas, T., & Kim, J (2004). Critical characteristics of male serial murderers. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 29(1).
Ramsland, Katherine M. The mind of a murderer: privileged access to the demons that drive extreme violence. Santa Barbara, California: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, 2011.
Buckman, Adam. “Following Footsteps of a Killer.” New York Post (Nov. 2002): 124: Proquest. Web. 28 Feb. 2014
A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it. Unfortunately, such acts of rampage have become a prevalent factor in the Canadian culture. As a result of endless media coverage, Canadians now are constantly bombarded with numerous images of violence. Many of which often portray a victim avenging their opponent by means of force. Thus, indoctrinating a nation of individuals to believe that it is only through aggression that problems can be resolved. Rather than being punished for acts of violence, those who commit such offenses are often praised for their “heroism”. In addition, the success of films like The Godfather, Gladiator, and Troy further aid in reinstating the fact that we live in a society that praises violence. Furthermore, this ideology allows for individuals to partake in violent acts with little or no backlash from ones community. However, when an individual strays away from the “norm”, they are likely to then be viewed as a deviant. Such cases of rejection within a society, are often seen in the portrayal of serial killers. Although our society tends to condone violence when it is directed towards a specific individual(s), it does not allow the killing of innocent bystanders. Instead, crimes that are targeted against a number of people over a long period of time, entail the harshest forms punishments under the law. Sadly, in executing the law for said crimes, those in charge often face much public scrutiny. Such occurrences were apparent in the faulty murder investigations of Canada's most notorious serial killer Robert Pickton. This is due to the ...
...social behavior” that children who sustain physical abuse grow up with criminal and antisocial behaviors. Just like the brother children who are abused have a high chance of becoming a violent parent themselves. Not only the child abuse destroys the future for one generation but many more to come because the cycle of violence stays with the parents that were abused.
In a study conducted by Hickey, he discovered that out of thirty-four female serial killers, almost one in two had a male accomplice committing murders with them (Holmes et al., 1991). He also revealed that 97% were white and the average age the women started committing murders was thirty-three (Holmes et al., 1991). Women serial killers differ from men in that most women kill for material gain, such as money or insurance benefits, and they usually commit murder with pills or poison. Stephen Holmes, Ronald Holmes, and Eric Hickey developed a typology for female serial killers similar to the one developed by Holmes and Holmes, discussed earlier. They begin with visionary serial killers, who are compelled by some force, such as God, or spirits, to commit murders. The second type is the comfort killer, who usually kills acquaintances and does so for a material gain, money or real estate (Holmes et al., 1991). The third category is hedonistic female serial killers, which is similar to the earlier typology in that the offender connects murder with sexual gratification. This is the least represented category for female offenders, but evidence for this type of killer can be seen in the case of Carol Bundy (Holmes et al., 1991). Bundy allegedly helped her husband kidnap, murder, and decapitate the
Simon, Robert I. "Serial Killers, Evil, And Us." National Forum 80.4 (2000): 23. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Nature vs. nurture has been one of the oldest and most debated topics among psychologists over the years. This concept discusses whether a child is born into this world with their developmental work cut out for them or if a child is a “blank slate” and their experiences are what shape them into who they are. Over the years and plenty of research, psychologists have all mostly come to agree that it’s a little bit of both. Children are both born with some genetic predispositions while other aspects of the child’s development are strongly influenced by their surrounding environment. This plays into the criminal justice system when discussing where criminal behavior stems from. Is a criminal’s anti-social behavior just part of their DNA or is it a result of their upbringing? The answer to this question is not definite. Looking at research a strong argument can be made that criminals developed their anti-social patterns through the atmosphere in which they were raise, not their DNA.
Berns, Walter. "Getting Away With Murder." Commentary 97.4 (1994): 25. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 14
A serial killer is traditionally defined as the separate killings of three or more people by an individual over a certain period of time, usually with breaks between the murders. (Angela Pilson, p. 2, 2011) This definition has been accepted by both the police and academics and therefore provides a useful frame of reference (Kevin Haggerty, p.1, 2009). The paper will seek to provide the readers with an explanation of how serial killers came to be and how they are portrayed in the media. Several serial killers have a definitive and common personality profile.
2011. “Serial Killers and Mass Murderers.” American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 9:
As years go on so will the research on serial killers and hopefully we as a society will fully understand them and one day be able to cure whatever inside that makes them have the urge to kill. Works Cited The Electronic Journal of Sociology, published by the University of Guelph, Ontario. http://www.scribd.com/doc/167086215/How-Serial-Killers-Work. According to the article “10 Most Common Traits of Potential Serial Killers By Hestie Barnard Gerber. According to Comrade Chikatilo: The Psychopathology of Russia's Notorious Serial Killer.
Research and observations show that the general profile of a serial killer is a white lower to middle-class male from 20-30 years of age. Over 90% of serial killers are men. They are most often single and have unusually high IQ’s. Most children who become serial killers wet the bed past age 12. They will torture animals or have an obsession with starting fires. They come from abusive families, families of a single mother, or an absent father. They suffer mental and physical abuse and attempt suicide regularly. Types of serial killers are medical killers, organized, and disorganized serial killers. Medical serial killers commit their crimes in hospitals or through fatal medicines because they think it is easy to blame a death on an overdose
Within the past decade there has been a wide range of research and evidence available based on both sides of the nature or nurture debate. Along with further research that identifies a number of determinants that have some form of influence towards criminal behavior and activity. This researc...
A serial killer's murdering spree is methodical and extremely well planned, and the motive usually is to get even (Douglas, p. 137). A serial killer often plans his crimes extremely carefully. He looks for a certain type...